Lorenzo Musetti reveals his one big advantage ahead of Carlos Alcaraz blockbuster
Lorenzo Musetti hopes that home crowd support can work to his advantage when he takes on Carlos Alcaraz in a crunch ATP Finals clash on Thursday night.
After an opening-match defeat to Taylor Fritz on his event debut on Monday, ninth seed Musetti battled back from the brink of defeat to stun seventh seed Alex de Minaur on Tuesday.
Trailing 3-5 down in the decider, the Italian — roared on by a raucous home crowd in Turin — rallied to win the final four games and claim a memorable 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory.
Musetti’s victory over the Australian gives him a fighting chance of qualification when he takes on Alcaraz in Thursday’s night session match.
All four men in the group can still seal their qualification, with Musetti able to ensure his spot in the last four if he beats Alcaraz in straight sets, or if he wins in three sets and de Minaur beats Fritz.
However, that will be no easy feat for the ninth seed, who has not beaten Alcaraz since their first-ever meeting in the 2022 Hamburg Open final.
World No 1 Alcaraz has won their last six contests, with the Spaniard beating Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters, Italian Open, and French Open in 2025.
The odds are seemingly stacked against Musetti, but the 23-year-old is hoping that an Italian crowd inside the Inalpi Arena can power him to another memorable win.
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In quotes reported by Ubitennis, the world No 9 revealed his belief that he could benefit from home advantage against the six-time Grand Slam champion.
“It gives me a lot of confidence in the work I’m doing, and it’s definitely good news that I’m competing to qualify for the semi-finals,” said Musetti.
“A lot of it will depend on my performance against Carlos. It’s the toughest match of the group, I know him very well because we’ve faced each other several times this year on all surfaces.
“But I’m sure I’m favoured in one thing, and that’s the crowd. Let’s hope they can help me perform a miracle.”
Musetti’s win over de Minaur — who has now lost 16 straight matches against top-10 opposition — was one of the best matches of the tournament so far.
It certainly produced a memorable atmosphere, with the Italian joining reigning ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner as a home favourite at the tournament this year.
Reflecting on his first-ever win at the year-end championships, Musetti described the match is the “most emotional” of his career.
He added: “Yes, perhaps the most emotional match of my career, especially for how it came about.
“Qualification was hard-fought, a close call. Having this crowd made it even more special. The embrace with the team, family, and friends is the real victory. I enjoyed sharing it with them right away.”
Musetti’s match against Alcaraz will take place at 20:30 local time on Thursday, with Fritz and de Minaur facing off earlier in the day.
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